Software like operating systems (OS's) or application programs can be installed onto a computer either manually or automatically. For the manual method, engineers are required to take all the software-installing CDs to the client's place, and then set the operating system, install the software one by one, and configure the application server as required. Generally, the automatic method is also known as “Network Installation Management (NIM)” service. In a NIM environment, software can be remotely installed onto one or more computers through network. In particular, the NIM technology is increasingly used for installing operating systems and/or application programs onto a sophisticated mainframe computer (e.g. a client or a server) capable of processing a large amount of information.
The NIM technology provides the function of managing software installation and maintenance through network. The NIM environment consists of at least one NIM server and several clients. The NIM server provides desired resources (such as files and programs used in installing) for installing software onto clients and maintaining the software. Computers receiving resources provided by the NIM server are called NIM clients. Software installation onto the computers of the clients is achieved by creating an installation image (such as a file of “OS images”).
In the NIM operating environment, the NIM server remotely boots NIM client, and copies an installation image of the software to be installed stored in the NIM server, and then installs the installation image onto the client in a remote way. Equipment supported by NIM service includes AIX (Advanced Interactive Executive, Unix OS of IBM), X-Server and so on. Presently, a lot of IT companies can provide NIM service. For instance, BMC software provides OS deployment solutions based on NIM; and Opsware provides server automatic systems.
FIG. 1 shows a typical installation process of NIM. This process is exemplified by the AIX operating system.
This process starts with step S100, and then proceeds to step S105. The original client is started or reset in step S105. For example, for an original client (also called a target client) onto which an operating system is to be installed, booting may be required; while for another client whose system recovery is to be conducted, resetting may be required.
In the next step S110, during BIOS booting process, the server checks whether the client is configured with IPL ROM (Read Only Memory) with a bootp command enabled. Here, IPL is the abbreviation for Initial Program Loader. The Bootp command stands for the Bootstrap Protocol command. This Bootstrap Protocol is based on TCP/IP, which enables a diskless workstation to get an IP address from a central server and can distribute dynamic IP addresses to diskless workstations within a LAN without requiring each user setting static IP addresses.
If the check result in step S110 shows that the IPL ROM has not enabled the Bootp, then the process proceeds to step S115. In step S115, a need for IPL ROM simulation is specified and the system fails to boot up. At this time, configuration must be performed on the client to enable the execution of Bootp command.
If the check result in step S110 shows that the client has already configured with IPL ROM, the process proceeds to step S120. In step S120, the manual interaction is desired, which is clearly indicated in the IPL ROM menu.
Then the process proceeds to step S125, wherein the target client will issue a bootp request.
Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S130. The command received is conveyed to a small-sized runtime environment. Then the process proceeds to step S135, wherein the bootstrap script is invoked to get a basic code for booting.
Then the process proceeds to step S140, wherein it will be checked whether the OS bootstrap program is obtained from the network, tape or CD-ROM.
If choosing to obtain OS bootstrap program from the network, the process proceed to step S145. Obtaining OS bootstrap program from network means the operation of getting the installation image file of the OS to be installed from NIM server through network. Here, the NIM SPOT resource is NFS. NFS allows files to be shared among computers connected to the network as if the file were on the local hard disk drive of the client. Installation of NFS files can help to configure the client, and then the OS installation image is copied from NIM SPOT to a target client (an original client). On completion of step S145, all the installation image files of the OS to be installed are completely copied to the target client.
If choosing to obtain OS bootstrap program from the tape, the process proceeds to step S150. In step S150, the target client is configured completely by the boot image carried inherently on the tape.
If choosing to obtain OS bootstrap program from CD-ROM, then use the AIX program on the CD to aid in configuring the target client.
On completion of steps S145, S150 or S155, the process proceeds to step S160. At this time, all the resources of the OS to be installed have been on the local computer. In step S160, BIOS installation script is invoked and the local computer begins to install the above-mentioned OS. Then in step S165, OS installation on the original client is finished and the OS installed thereafter can be operated.
In addition to OS, the NIM system can be used to remotely install application programs or service or the like from the server onto the client.
Specifically, in the NIM operating environment, the target client to receive server resources is required to have BIOS and support NIM. Once the client is powered on, BIOS of NIM will conduct a power on test, and then it will find the address of the NIM server which can provide the resources of the OS to be installed, according to the parameters configured in MBR (Main Boot Record). Then, BIOS boots up the original client and connects it to the NIM server. After the establishment of communication with the NIM server, authentication of the client and authorization for the client will be completed. A request is sent to the designated NIM server manually or automatically to get the “OS images” files of the OS to be installed. Here, the image files can be saved on NIM server in either a compressed format or a non-compressed format. Read the OS installation image file from the server, copy the whole file from NIM server and save it on the target client (the original client), thus the OS installation image file is remotely installed onto the client. Once the OS installation image file is installed onto the client remotely, the client needs to be rebooted and the software needs to be installed before it can really run. Compared with the OS installation in manual style, this process is automatic, but the end user still needs to wait for the completion of installation of OS and application programs before he/she could use the computer.
On the other hand, it can be seen from said installation that there is still a time delay in installing OS and/or application onto client by NIM technology. As is mentioned above, time is desired for the NIM installation. Approximately 30 minutes or more will be needed in the process of “Boot NIM→Copy installation image file→Reboot→System ready”. Especially in the process in which OS installation image files are copied to the target client, all of the OS installation image files are desired to be copied to the target client in order before other operations of system boot can be done. This is one of the reasons for the time delay.
Time delay results in the poor performance of NIM in supporting some solutions to fast deployment. In some commercial applications such as bank business, disaster recovery and system backup are demanding on time spent in installation and configuration of the system. The system is expected to be installed, configured and resumed as fast as possible. If long time is spent on the installation and configuration of the system used in such fields, commercial loss will occur.
So a method, a system and a corresponding client are expected, through which time delay in software installation can be reduced or eliminated and thus fast installation of software on client is achieved by NIM technology.